Book cover of Ten Cities that Made an Empire

Book description

From Tristram Hunt, award-winning author of The Frock-Coated Communist and leading UK politician, Ten Cities that Made an Empire presents a new approach to Britain's imperial past through the cities that epitomised it

Since the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997 and the end days of Empire, Britain's…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Ten Cities that Made an Empire as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

As an unwitting child of the British Empire, I have, as the modern phrase goes, some lived experience of it.

Much that is written about it has its basis in ideology: empire was glorious; or colonialism is the devil’s work. This book uses ten cities of Empire to search out its on-the-ground history. It is marvelously absorbing and free of cliche, jingoism, or bias. It is fluently written and led me to see these iconic cities in a new light.

If you love Ten Cities that Made an Empire...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like Ten Cities that Made an Empire?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Ten Cities that Made an Empire.

Browse books like Ten Cities that Made an Empire

Book cover of Beyond a Boundary
Book cover of The Rise and Fall of the British Nation: A Twentieth-Century History
Book cover of Rivonia's Children: Three Families and the Cost of Conscience in White South Africa

Share your top 3 reads of 2026!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

177

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like Ten Cities that Made an Empire, you might also like...

Book cover of Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up for Yourself in Today's Toxic, Sexist Culture

Sexy Selfie Nation by Leora Tanenbaum,

The problem is not with the actions young women take but with the toxic, sexist conditions they are responding to.

Tanenbaum found, based on six years of interviews with young people ages 14-30, that young women are navigating a culture littered with gendered dress codes, revenge porn, and sexually explicit…

Book cover of In This Together: Connecting with Your Community to Combat the Climate Crisis

In This Together by Marianne E. Krasny,

In This Together explores how we can harness our social networks to make a real impact fighting the climate crisis. Against notions of the lone environmental crusader, Marianne E. Krasny shows us the power of "network climate action"—the idea that our own ordinary acts can influence and inspire those close…

5 book lists we think you will like!